Chapter 122. [After the Hero]
The light came in through the window. The sharp scent of disinfectant stung my nose.
“Where… am I?”
I woke up and muttered. My head still felt foggy.
“Ugh…”
Just sitting up in bed was a struggle.
I slowly surveyed my surroundings.
There is a clean, white space with a unified atmosphere.
It looked like a room in some hospital.
“Me? Who am I? Um, what was it?”
My memories were jumbled, and I couldn’t recall them properly.
Why on earth was I sleeping in a place like this?
I struggled to get out of bed while feeling unsteady.
As I moved, I noticed the IV needle in my arm.
How long had I been asleep?
My limbs didn’t respond well, lacking strength.
I used the IV stand as a makeshift cane to support myself.
Making a rattling sound, I made my way toward the exit door.
Then, something moved at the edge of my vision.
Startled, I realized it was just a mirror.
My reflection was visible there.
Our eyes met in the mirror.
Ah.
The moment I saw that reflection, my consciousness finally became clear.
“Why, why, why am I a girl now? No, that’s right!”
That’s right! I remembered now!
I was reincarnated as a young girl named Iroha and saved the world. Huh!?
“I’m still alive!?”
Wait, why? I should have died!
I went beyond my limits to save the world, to the point where my brain was supposed to melt from the feverish heat.
But now, I felt completely fine.
But is it possible to have no aftereffects? Isn’t that too good to be true?
And since a while ago, something has been… off.
There’s a constant sense of discomfort.
“Could it be that I’ve already lost some memories? What if I’ve forgotten about VTubers? Alright, let’s try to remember their names in order. The first one, the pioneer of VTubers, was Oyabin, right? And then, the next one who became famous was the Four Heavenly Kings of the Five, uh…”
Huh? It’s five people, but I said Four Heavenly Kings? My memories got mixed up?
No, this is correct!
As I make excuses to myself, I double-check by listing names, but then the hospital room door opens from the outside with a rattling sound.
And then, something falls to the floor with a soft thud.
I turn my gaze and see a girl standing there, her eyes wide as she covers her mouth with both hands.
A bouquet rolls to her feet, and some petals float in the air.
“…Iroha-chan?”
A silence as if time had stopped.
I was puzzled about how to react.
And then…
“Um, uh, good morning—Mai.”
The words slipped out of my mouth, the same greeting I used on our way to school.
But now, I can call her by her name.
“Iroha-chan~!”
“Huh!? Hey, be gentle! I’m a patient, you know! The IV needle is still in my arm!”
“Eeeek! It’s Iroha-jan~!”
“Oh, come on… Okay, there, there. Sorry for worrying you.”
Mai hugged me tightly with incredible strength.
I gently stroked her head.
Encouraged by her loud crying, I could hear the footsteps of two people approaching—Mai’s footsteps.
“Mai-chan!”
“Mai!”
Ah, Ah-nee and Angu Ogu
The two of them froze momentarily with a surprised expression when they saw me.
“Um, ‘Iroha-roo~.’ Just kidding. Hey, wait!? Both of you too!?”
As I greeted them playfully, the two burst into tears and embraced me.
The crying turned into a trio of voices.
“Ugh, ughhh… Hey, it’s hard to handle three people, you know!?”
“Iroha-chan, that’s enough… You’ve gone too far!”
“Iroha… You idiot… You big idiot! You worried us! This is your punishment! So, you’ll be obediently embraced by us for a while!”
It seems I have no choice but to accept this situation for a while.
I’ve caused them a lot of worry, so it can’t be helped.
“Okay, I understand… Oh, but can I watch VTuber streams? I think there’s probably a ton of archives! And many people released singing videos at that time too.”
“Oh, huh? What’s with the three of you? Your faces look scary. Weren’t you crying just now? It was such an emotional reunion! Hey, let go… Someone, help!”
“Iroha-chan~!” “Iroha-chan?” “Iroha~!”
“Eek!”
And so, as I woke up, I was scolded right away.
I get lectured endlessly about why I did something so reckless.
Um, excuse me. I did save the world, you know?
Isn’t it strange? Instead of being praised? I should be praised, right?
“That’s a separate matter!”
“Ugh…”
“Um, sorry to interrupt your touching reunion, but can I perform an examination now?”
The doctor interrupted the lecture.
Thank you, doctor. You’re my savior!
“Iroha-chan, I have a lecture for you too.”
“Huh!?”
“Why did you do something so reckless again? And didn’t I tell you to take your medicine properly?”
“Oh, yes.”
This doctor is the same doctor who took care of me before.
Well, it’s no wonder they’re angry! I’m sorry!
“And there’s still someone who is the most angry waiting over there.”
“Huh?”
I turned around as the doctor pointed.
At the entrance to the hospital room stood my mom, out of breath, her shoulders moving up and down.
Uh-oh!
